AppCraver » Word

Deadlier Allusions: Mini Crime Sagas for the Cultured Detective

Barbara Holbrook — Tue, 06 Oct 2009 23:43:32 +0000

Deadlier Allusions is another installment of text-based who-dunnits for armchair detectives. The criminal capers are all murders where the victim has left behind clues that — if interpreted correctly — will point to the “perp.” It’s the players job to suss out the truth and solve the murder through multiple choice.

Each mini mystery takes less than a minute to read, but depending on your base of knowledge could take much longer to solve. Deadlier Allusions offers a “small hint” or a “large hint” to help point players in the right direction. If you’re really stuck you can just guess. There’s no penalty for wrong answers. Although purists might say, you’re only cheating yourself.

Trivia buffs will fare better than most as some of the clues are pretty esoteric. Then again, that’s sort of the point of Deadlier Allusions. Take your clues to the Internet and you may just find the information you need to piece together the puzzle.

I’m not very good at these types of brain puzzlers that require taking random bits of information to arrive at a conclusion. In fact, not even my guesses were on target! However, for me the joy of Deadlier Allusions is the writing style of author Sherban Young.

Young takes a break from writing novels to create the Deadly Allusions series of trivia-based mysteries. The puzzles are available as three separate iPhone apps: Deadly Allusions, Deadlier Allusions and Deadliest Allusions. Kindle users can also download the trio as a single book with 25 extra mysteries.

Young’s crime story narratives remind me a bit of Douglas Adams’ Dirk Gently detective series. The stories are humorously matter of fact, clever but not too clever. The Allusions are immensely enjoyable to read, whether I can solve them or not.

Deadlier Allusions and it’s counterparts are text-based games, similar to a reading comprehension quiz with dead bodies. They won’t appeal to everybody — such as app lovers looking for fancy graphics or an adrenaline rush. That said, the Allusions series of murder mysteries is witty and engaging. I’d take the Allusions over yet another photo hunt any day.

rating: 8/10
app_name: Deadlier Allusions

Wordweaver Takes Word Games to the Next Level

Barbara Holbrook — Wed, 30 Sep 2009 22:18:19 +0000

Wordweaver adds new features, twists and roadblocks to the typical “find and select” word puzzlers. It could be one of the most innovative word games I’ve played in a while, and it’s easily the most challenging.

At first glance, Wordweaver from Mini Monster Media looks like just another jungle-themed word finder. You know, the kind where you drag a finger across — usually horizontally, vertically or diagonally — to make as many words as possible. Although that works in Wordweaver too, it’s just the most basic form of gameplay. Better yet, drag your finger any which way or change directions to zig-zag across the board and create longer letter-combinations.

Add in a timer, two modes of gameplay, and difficulty options and you’ve got a pretty well-rounded word game that’s good for short bursts of distraction. Now, add on a layer of fresh, original graphics, custom soundtrack with sound effects that can be controlled independently and you’ve got a game that deserves a permanent place on your iPhone, one you’ll probably come back to again.

Finally, add in bonus letters that allow players to earn higher scores, tack on a series of achievements to incite competition, wrap it up with made-for-iPhone features like using the accelerometer to scramble the letters, and now you’ve got Wordweaver. This “simple word game” just became a full-fledged game that will push players to maximize their glossary for glory.

But, what good is glory without gloating? For those of you who can’t appreciate a win without the chance to crow about it, Wordweaver has all the popular options to share your success with friends. Post your scores to the Global Leaderboard, use Facebook Connect to compare your score with friends, or send the news to Twitter. The app is also OpenFeint enabled for the ultimate in community involvement.

I only have two problems with Wordweaver. One, there are so extras, bonuses and features that it can take a while to master the game. There is no instant gratification here. And two, some of the buttons are difficult to use. The letters are all perfectly sized and easy to select. But, the buttons that allow the rows and columns to move are pretty narrow and I had a hard time getting the rows to slide. Practice makes perfect, but I’d rather it “just work.”

Wordweaver has taken a simple word game and added so many extras, I’m not really sure it even counts as a word game any more. Wordsmiths will enjoy working their vocab voodoo, but puzzlers and strategy seekers will also want take this game for a spin.

Mastering this jargon jungle is a right of passage that will take skill. But, if you’re getting bored with what the word-game genre has to offer, then it’s time to move on to the next level. Wordweaver will test the limits of your lexicon and — even after 30 levels — leave you ready for more.

app_name: Wordweaver
rating: 8/10

Grabl is a Fast-Paced Addition to iPhone Word Games

Barbara Holbrook — Mon, 28 Sep 2009 23:37:53 +0000

Grable — Wordsmiths who enjoy games like Scrabble and Boggle are in for a treat. Grabl is a word-building strategy game that will appeal to those brainy types who prefer a shot of adrenaline with their morning crossword.

At first glance this app from Rocketmaker Productions, seems perfectly straightforward. Like a simplified version Scrabble, Grabl players start with a set of lettered tiles (14 to be exact) and the goal is to form words on the board. As you use the tiles, you may choose to replenish them by tapping the “more please” button. Words with more letters are worth more points and any tiles left over at the end will be deducted from your score.

The real thrill comes from the clock. Much like Boggle (or Word Fu), you only have a set amount of time to get the tiles laid down in word form. As the clock ticks down, the pressure builds and the adrenaline kicks in. It’s also the clock that makes Grabl so addictive. Each time the game ended, I was just sure I could beat my high score next time.

Grabl made me do something that hasn’t happened in a while. I played until my iPhone “died,” then I charged it up and drained it again. And, I’m not the only one with this problem. When I went to bed I was #38 on the global leaderboard, by this morning I was down to #60. Obviously, there are more than a few competitive Grabl players out there!

This word game is tons of fun, but it’s not entirely perfect yet. My biggest gripe may sound petty to those that usually play games at a slower pace. Grabl lets players zoom in and out of the board by tapping the screen. Unfortunately, more than once this strategy had me zooming out while trying to move tiles. In a game where every second counts, this is a frustrating “feature.”

My only other gripe doesn’t affect gameplay, so it’s not as bad. Outside of the game, the buttons have to be tapped just right to work — especially for submitting scores online. It sometimes took several taps before the app responded appropriately.

Neither of these things are deal breakers, and can easily be worked around with practice. But if you have sausage fingers, take note that the control system may take some getting used to.

On the positive side, Grabl has a few settings to let users customize their gaming experience: compare scores on your device or on the global leaderboard, pick your own background image, and choose your length of play 1, 3 or 5 minutes otherwise known as “in line,” “red light” and “coffee break.”

Players looking for a longer game should try out “frenzy” mode. The clock starts off with just 30 seconds and players must rush to make words to earn more time.

However you choose to play Grabl, it’s a fun addition to the category of iPhone word games.

rating: 7/10
app_name: Grabl

Letrix combines Boggle, Tetris for frustrating fun

Barbara Holbrook — Wed, 22 Jul 2009 00:00:02 +0000

For a game with such simple instructions, Letrix is surprisingly difficult. Letrix is a word puzzle where you build words similar to Boggle or Scrabble using letters that drop down the screen like in Tetris. Once you’ve created a word, the tiles disappear. If your stack of letters gets too tall, then it’s game over.

Sounds easy, right? I’ve played a game or two of Scrabble in my day so I felt ready to take on the Letrix challenge.

You can move tiles left or right as they slide down the screen. Once a tile lands in a stack, you can still move it up, down or side to side as long as it stays within it’s row. However, with a steady stream on falling tiles, I found it difficult to concentrate on creating words.

There are just a few options for Letrix. Sound effects, basically the staccato clip of tiles falling into place, can be on or off. Disappointingly, you can’t listen to your own tunes while playing. There’s also a high score leaderboard, but I was never asked to enter my name. It seems to track scores only by date and level, not by name so you can’t compare your score to another player.

If you enjoy word games, then Letrix has the potential to be fun. (Heck for folks with a quicker response time it might already be fun!) But I would appreciate an update that makes it easier for new users to get started. I’d like a “cheat” — maybe shake to clear all the tiles or an unlimited play option that dissolves stacks instead of ending the game. I say this because I genuinely like playing Letrix, but getting up to speed is frustrating.

If you’re not sure if you’re ready for the Letrix challenge, you can start off with the free version. If you’re ready to man up, then get Letrix Classic and you’ll get two play modes.

rating: 6/10
app_name: Letrix Classic

Hint Sprint Goes and then Slows

Michael Alexander — Tue, 23 Jun 2009 20:30:01 +0000

If you’re a fan of the Jeopardy TV quiz show, you might get a kick out of Hint Sprint, from developer Sobits.

The app feeds you two or more word clues and you have to find two related words that rhyme. For example, if the hint is “chuckle chart,” the correct answer is “laugh graph.” If the hint is “Actress Jane’s car,” the answer is “Fonda’s Hondas.”

You have 30 seconds to figure out the answer before losing the round.

There are three modes – Easy, Hard and Medium. As you should anticipate, the clues are harder and the word responses are longer as you climb the challenge ladder. The answer to “Having to do with sea travel,” is “Entailing sailing,” in Hard mode, for example. The two examples I gave you earlier came from the Easy mode.

Hint Sprint is fun for a while but it may not be compelling enough to stay occupied for more than 5 to 10 minutes at a stretch. It’s really not that difficult. Easy is too easy; medium is too medium; and Hard won’t be hard enough for many folks.

The questions-answers combos are along the same line of difficulty as what you might encounter in the first round of Jeopardy, where you would have $200 to $1,000 on the line and you rack up dollars more with speed, than with brainpower.

Scoring is based on how quickly you solve the puzzle and whether you decide to tap the Hint button to get help. There’s a honking horn to alert you when time is running out and other sound effects when you tap Hint or blow the game entirely.

Hint Sprint just didn’t float my boat. It’s probably good for beginners, but wordsmiths with more experience will likely want a greater challenge.

rating: 7/10
app_name: Hint Sprint

Letter Bug is an Engaging Word Game

Amelia Sauter — Tue, 02 Jun 2009 00:30:16 +0000

As soon as you start playing Letter Bug, you will find that it is a unique word-forming game, with multiple layers and levels. However, because Letter Bug is more complex than other word games, it can also be slightly confusing.

Letter Bug from Portable Zoo is similar to yet different from word games like Word Warp and Chicktionary. To play Letter Bug, you form as many words as you can from the letters on the screen, but as you form the words, the letters you use disappear to reveal new layers of letters. Colored letters provide extra points and/or buy extra time or new letters.

Letter Bug has six different “worlds,” or themes, with three levels each and multiple rounds in each level. One of the most interesting aspects of Letter Bug is that you get extra points for words that match the theme. For example, if you are in the Storm world, you get 50 bonus points for forming the word “rain.”

The levels, themes and rounds of Letter Bug create the opportunity for some confusion. What round am I on? Why did the level end? How exactly do I unlock the next level? Letter Bug’s scoring feels so complicated sometimes that I cannot keep track of how I am getting points or bonuses.

Sometimes Letter Bug is quirky, like when you spell a word in the last ten seconds and do not get credit for the word or for the extra time you earned by using a green letter in the word. In Playthrough Mode, when you run out of time, the game is over unless you reach the target points. You can also play one world at a time in Score Attack or Challenge Mode, but only in the worlds you have previously unlocked.

Letter Bug is one of the most liberal games that I have played when it comes to identifying real words. Some of the acceptable words that I typed into Letter Bug included las, wem, cig, es and Ann (but not Jan).

Fortunately, Letter Bug is enjoyable enough to play that you can overlook the brain-boggling scoring and occasional non-existent words. Despite its shortcomings, Letter Bug is another addictive word game for the iPhone.

app_name: Letter Bug
rating: 7/10

It Takes Moxie to Win this Word Game

Michael Alexander — Sat, 30 May 2009 00:00:05 +0000

Moxie, a bitter soda from Maine, has come to mean “guts” or “nerve. It probably has something to do with the intestinal fortitude of those who drink this belly-washer.

Moxie, the app from Blue Ox, also requires a strong stomach because you have to be willing to gamble to form words to score big points without using up all the letters in your hand.

Moxie is a bit hard to describe, but if you take a look at the screen capture on the left, you should get a pretty good idea of the challenge. Form three rows of words using letters the app randomly selects for you.

I like the fact that Moxie is not a word game that requires your playing against the clock. That makes the game a bit more cerebral and allows for an element of strategy that speed-oriented games do not allow. Consequently, you’ll find Moxie more engaging than some others and you’re also like to quickly become thoughtfully addicted.

You score points for forming words (obviously). The value of each letter determines the overall score, a methodology common to so many word games, notably Scrabble (check out AppCraver’s review).

Again, like Scrabble and many other word games, in Moxie you can earn additional points by adding tiles to existing words or by substituting one for another.

Blue Ox and five other indie iPhone word game devs are jointly marketing Wonderful Word Games Week, which runs through May 31. During the promotion, all their word games will be $0.99 apiece.

In addition to Blue Ox, Cerebral Gardens (Wordology), Imangi Studios (Imangi, Imangi Word Squares), Nimblebit (Textropolis), Semi Secret Software (Wurdle) and Syed Jafri (Stitch’Em Words).

Check out AppCraver for reviews of Imangi Word Squares, Textropolis, Wurdle and Stitch’Em Words.

Moxie: Drink it while it’s only a buck for a can.

app_name: Moxie
rating: 9/10

Seek ‘n Spell is a GPS-Based Adventure Game For Groups

Amelia Sauter — Tue, 26 May 2009 17:00:09 +0000

Don’t let the name mislead you. Seek ‘n Spell is nothing like your childhood toy, Speak & Spell. In fact, forming words is only a small part of this adventurous, GPS-based scavenger hunt. Who knew a word game could be this invigorating?

Seek ‘n Spell from Retronyms uses the iPhone’s GPS function to guide you and your friends on an outdoor search for letters. After you find some letters, you can submit words for points. Forming words is not the fun part; it’s the hunting process that makes this game exciting.

The first time I played Seek ‘n Spell, it was on my street at midnight, after a couple of drinks with friends. We violated the main rule of Seek ‘n Spell, that you need to play in a wide-open area. My friends and I found ourselves running around in the dark, down side streets and in people’s back yards, whooping and hollering. Though half of the letters were unattainable on the other side of the creek, it was an adventure, that’s for certain. We had a blast.

Seek ‘n Spell requires a significant amount of pre-planning to be successful. First, you need a bunch of friends with iPhones who also have an interest in playing Seek ‘n Spell. Depending on your social circle, this may or may not be an easy task. Then you have to plan to meet in a large open area, like a park, on a nice day (or night).

Seek ‘n Spell is intuitive to use, but it is only as functional as your GPS. The first two times I played Seek ‘n Spell it worked fine, but today when I tried to play with a friend and take some screenshots, the GPS satellites found her iPhone but could not locate mine; you can see there is only one player in the screenshot above. Playing solo just does not provide the same thrill.

Though Seek ‘n Spell offers to find parks near you, it only retrieved the distant City Clerk’s office and mobile home parks for me, even though there are numerous parks by my house. It appears to use the white pages for its park search.

Seek ‘n Spell is an innovative, unique iPhone game. Though $2.99 per player is pricey, Seek ‘n Spell is a brilliant investment if you have daredevil friends with iPhones who like to run around outside. Get ready for an adventure!

app_name: Seek ‘n Spell
rating: 8/10

Bookworm is the Defining Word Game App

Jennifer Beam — Sun, 29 Mar 2009 17:00:56 +0000

If you’re a word game fan and have never played Pop Cap Games’ Bookworm online, then check out Bookworm in the App Store. From the same developers that brought us Bejeweled, Bookworm is by far one of the best search and create word games around and having it available for iPhone and iPod touch is pretty exciting if you’re a word game fanatic.

Bookworm has made a seamless transition from PC to mobile device and just as with the downloadable version for the computer, Bookworm for iPhone displays the same rich graphics, easy to read and navigate screen, and has a few hidden surprises that I hadn’t noticed in the other version.

Bookworm features a library-bound worm named “Lex” who munches up letter tiles when they are connected to form words. In this version, simply tap on the letters to connect them and then tap on the submit button at the top. Word scores are displayed up top as the word is formed, allowing you to accept the word you’ve made or keep looking for a way to change the word for a higher score before submitting. Bookworm has two game modes available — classic and timed — and be sure to watch out for the burning letter tiles in each and use them before they reach the bottom.

In addition to the two game modes, Bookworm also has a bonus book list, which contains nine unlockable books with themes like body parts, pets and clothing. To complete the bonus book list library, you must make all the words on each book’s word list. Bookworm also stores word history, tracking three, four, and five letter words that have been made during regular game play.

Just like the PC version of Bookworm, bonus tiles and bonus words are given and a definition feature is also included, which I love. The definition feature can be turned on and off in the options menu, but when on, enables Lex to periodically spew out the definitions of some of the words you make.

Bookworm is perfectly designed for the touchscreen interface of the iPhone and iPod touch, meaning nothing is forced and you can simply enjoy the game. If you get stuck with your board of tiles and can’t find any words to make, simply shake your device to scramble them up. The accompanying sound effects and background music are an enhancement and will be familiar to those who’ve tried their hand at Bookworm before. An auto-save feature is built in to save progress in case of interruption.

While it’s true that at $4.99 Bookworm runs on the higher end of pricing for game apps, it satisfies the need for a quality word game in a single app and possesses just enough replay value and challenge to be well worth it.

app_name: Bookworm
rating: 9/10

TextTwist Turbo is Disappointing

Amelia Sauter — Thu, 26 Mar 2009 21:00:00 +0000

If you play TextTwist on your computer, do not expect a similar experience playing TextTwist Turbo on the iPhone. The two word games are surprisingly dissimilar.

Both games are based on the same objective: form as many words as you can from a bunch of jumbled letters. Everything else is so different it is disorienting. In the iPhone version of TextTwist Turbo, the graphics are unfamiliar, the way the game is set up on the screen is not the same, the timer is gone and there is the addition of irritating music. It looks like RealArcade started from scratch with this iPhone app, ignoring the great success of their computer version of TextTwist.

TextTwist Turbo doesn’t have a user-friendly interface. The list of words you’ve already formed isn’t on the same page as the game; you have to stop playing to tap the menu option mid-game and then you can choose to see your word list.

The user is frequently interrupted during TextTwist Turbo by questions across the iPhone screen: Next level opened! Enter now? No. You can enter the next level from the pause menu. I know. Let me play the darn game and stop bothering me. TextTwist Turbo is sluggish too and the absence of timed play makes the game feel even slower.

You can play a second game on TextTwist Turbo, Twist Puzzle, in which you unjumble words one at a time to reach the next level. I didn’t find this version of the game particularly compelling either.

If you want a word twisting app for your iPhone, you can find much better options than TextTwist Turbo. Word Warp is excellent and more similar to the original TextTwist, or try Chicktionary for a well-made, entertaining word game app.

app_name: TextTwist Turbo
rating: 4/10